Runners make their way along the Mountain Lakes 100 course in Oregon. Photo Paul Nelson

What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — September 20, 2025

Drew Dinan
Drew Dinan

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The third weekend of September features 64 races on the UltraRunning Magazine race calendar. In this week’s What’s Up in Ultra, we showcase ultramarathon races in Oregon, Michigan, Georgia, New Jersey and Alberta, Canada. If you’re a race director and would like your event to be featured in the calendar, register here.

Featured: Mountain Lakes 100 (Olallie Lake, OR)

The 12th annual Mountain Lakes 100 kicks off this weekend at the picturesque Olallie Lake in Oregon’s Mount Hood National Forest. Known for its scenic course and great volunteers, Mountain Lakes takes runners on a challenging yet mostly runnable course through lush forests and past over 25 pristine mountain lakes on the famous Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The race starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and participants will have 30 hours to navigate 11,700 feet of elevation gain and loss to earn their Mountain Lakes 100 buckle and 2026 Western States 100 qualifier. Read more.

Other West Events:

Pacific

Mountain

Featured: Dances with Dirt – Hell, MI (Gregory, MI)

Dances with Dirt- Hell, MI (50-mile and 50k ultramarathon distances) takes place this weekend at a private group camp near the quirky town of Hell, Michigan, where runners are invited to “camp out for the weekend, sit around a fire and howl at the moon!” On course, runners can expect challenging trails with lots of rocks and mud, a few river crossings and gnarly sections of unmaintained trails. Both 50-mile and 50k runners will set off at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday and have 12.25 hours to complete their events. After the race, all entrants will be treated to a post-race bash with food, drink and live music. Read more.

Other Midwest Events:

Featured: The Georgia Jewel (Dalton, GA)

The 15th annual Georgia Jewel (100-mile, 50-mile and 35-mile ultra distances) kicks off this weekend in Dalton, Georgia. The 100-milers will lead things off bright and early Friday morning as they set out to complete an out-and-back course on the Pinhoti Trail—a 335-mile long-distance trail stretching from Alabama to Georgia. On course, runners will have to navigate steep climbs and descents, technical sections including the “rock garden,” and just over 13,300 feet of elevation gain and loss. Participants in the 100-mile race will have 35 hours to complete their course for an official finish and a shiny new Georgia Jewel buckle. The 50-mile and 35-mile runners will be shuttled to the start of their races on Saturday, where they’ll run point-to-point races back to the finish line at the Dalton Convention Center. All runners are encouraged to hang out after the race and celebrate their accomplishments with their fellow runners, families and cold beers. Read more.

Other South Events:

Southwest

Southeast

Featured: Wild Goose Trail Festival (Hewitt, NJ)

The Wild Goose Trail Festival, hosted by the Sassquad (who make sure “every run is a trail party”), takes place September 19-21 at Wawayanda State Park in Hewitt, New Jersey. Benefiting Bigger Than The Trail, a nonprofit organization that uses trail running as a way to advocate for mental health, the 2025 Wild Goose Trail Festival features several ultramarathon race distances, including a 36-hour timed event and 100-mile, 100k, 50-mile and 50k races. All events take place in a specific sequence of the three loops set throughout the state park’s 18.5-mile trail system. On course, runners can expect a variety of trails, including single-track, doublewide, a little bit of road and around 112 feet of climbing per mile. Read the race handbook here.

Other Northeast Events:

Featured: Rivers Edge Ultra (Devon, AB)

First run in 2017, Rivers Edge Ultra (50k, 80k, 100k and 100-mile ultra races) is held on a series of four loop courses in the scenic North Saskatchewan River Valley in Parkland County, Alberta, Canada. Race highlights include “running, scrambling, jumping, crawling, laughing and plain old socializing” on a diverse collection of single-track trails; the chance to spot a variety of wildlife, including moose, bald eagles, coyotes and the occasional cougar and black bear; handcrafted awards for the top-three male and female age-group finishers; and a free Sunday breakfast. River’s Edge Running Series benefits Olive Tree Projects, “a nonprofit organization committed to preserving families by improving maternal and child health in Jacmel, Haiti.” Read more about the race here.

Other Events in Canada and Mexico:

Email corys@ultrarunning with questions about adding your event to the UltraRunning Magazine calendar.

Drew Dinan traded the tropics of the Florida Keys for the trails of Bend, OR. Once living the Jimmy Buffett lifestyle, working on fishing boats and owning only a single pair of flip flops, he now has way too many running shoes in his closet and never hears the end of it from his loving wife. He is on a constant quest to find the best happy hours, likes to complain when it’s cold outside, and one day hopes to travel the country writing reviews on chicken wings.

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